When lyrics were not as self-absorbed

There are still many incredible lyricists who write about a wide variety of issues, but it seems to me that today's typical lyrics (at least those that on can hear broadcast on mainstream radio) tend to be self-absorbed: songs about a small social circle consisting mostly of me and what I want and what I'm feeling about me, and aboutyou and what you think of me. Maybe it's more difficult to write about political change these days because our problems today seem so much more intractable. Back in the 70's I was part of a eight-piece jazz-rock band we called "Ego." Yes, many of the tunes we played were about falling in love and breaking up, but we also played songs dealing with the need for social change. One of those tunes was called "Dialogue," by Chicago. It consisted of a dialogue between Peter Cetera (also the bass player) and Terry Kath (an extraordinary guitar player). As I listened to "Dialogue" this morning, I was transported back to an earlier day when more of the music that was played on the radio challenged us to think and to change. The consolidation of the mass media makes it much less likely that you'll hear these kinds of ideas when you listen to music on the radio, but you could hear such ostensibly political lyrics in the past, and they planted powerful seeds in some of us. Here is the two-part dialogue that so moved me: Part I Are you optimistic 'bout the way things are going? No, I never ever think of it at all Don't you ever worry When you see what's going down? No, I try to mind my business, that is, no business at all When it's time to function as a feeling human being Will your Bachelor of Arts help you get by? [more . . . ]

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Barbershop competition winner

Until now, when I thought of barbershop style vocal music, I thought of four guys standing still and working some really tight harmonies. Take a look at this video from the 2009 International Barbershop championship, featuring the winners in the chorus division, the Ambassadors of Harmony. Incredible harmonies and movement. For more on this competition, see this article by Robert Elisberg at Huffpo.

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On hiring a musician to get your girl back

Maybe the lesson is that you shouldn't hire a prominent musician to get back your girl, even if you originally fell in love while listening to his music. Maybe getting back your girl is one of those things that you just shouldn't delegate. Or maybe I'm saying too much . . . Here' the story in a nutshell, as heard on NPR's This American Life with Ira Glass. It is titled Act Two. "Lonely Hearts Club Band . . . Of One."

Musician David Berkeley has gotten a lot of requests in his life, but none quite like the offer his agent got last year. A fan wanted Berkeley to come to his house and help save his relationship by serenading the troubled couple with a personal concert. Ira Glass talks to Berkeley about why he took the gig, and what happened when he got there.
This strange and awkward concert occurred in the guy's living room, with the woman sitting at the opposite end of the couch from the guy. David Berkeley's job was to serenade the struggling couple in an attempt to get them back together. Berkeley shares his perspective of the events, along with some of his music. If you want to hear the story yourself, here the site of Glass's show, where you can download the entire show--the story is about 12 minutes long, starting at the 33 minute mark.

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